Casa Grande to Hermosillo, Mexico Road Trip: Route & Stops

By admin, 30 September, 2026

The Wayro route from Casa Grande to Hermosillo is 305 miles (491 km), about 5 h 13 min of driving without stops. The U.S.–Mexico border is at about mile 132 on this route, near the Nogales port of entry.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Sonora — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Sonora is the Mexican state that contains Hermosillo. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Picacho Peak State ParkWhite Stallion RanchCathedral of Saint AugustineMission San Xavier del BacTubac Presidio State Historic ParkTumacácori National Historical ParkMission San Cayetano de CalabazasU.S.–Mexico borderCasa GrandeHermosillo
Route from Casa Grande to Hermosillo with the 7 stops listed below (blue dots) and the approximate U.S.–Mexico border crossing (red square).
Distance305 mi (491 km)
Driving time, no stops5 h 13 min
Main roads, in orderI-10 → I-19 → MEX-15D → MEX-15
Border crossingabout mile 132 of this route, Arizona → Sonora (near the Nogales, AZ port of entry)
Mexican states on the routeSonora (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-15D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 12.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below7

Crossing into Mexico: what you need for Hermosillo

PassportPassport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land
FMM entry permitRequired for this trip: Hermosillo is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed
Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP)Not needed: Hermosillo is inside Sonora's free zone (west of Highway 15 as far south as Empalme, plus a strip along the border that includes Cananea). Going farther south or east of Highway 15 requires a permit
Mexican auto insuranceRequired for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you cross

Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito. Sonora free zone: Explore Sonora.

Crossing at Nogales

Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, share several crossings: DeConcini downtown is the main gateway for visitors and daily crossers, Morley Gate nearby serves pedestrians, and Mariposa on the west side handles commercial trucks. The city is also home to Arizona's only rail crossing.

Sources: [1] [2]

What the drive from Casa Grande to Hermosillo is like

MEX-15D (120 mi) and I-10 (62 mi) carry about 60% of the 305 miles. The U.S. part of the drive runs through Arizona for about 132 miles; after the border at Nogales you have about 173 miles left in Mexico. The Mexican leg uses MEX-15D, a toll highway (cuota). Of the 7 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Casa Grande to Hermosillo, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–66Arizona
I-106–6862Arizona
I-1968–12860Arizona
connecting roads128–1324Arizona
MEX-15D132–1408Sonora
MEX-15140–18343Sonora
MEX-15D183–295112Sonora
local roads295–30510Sonora
  • Mile 132 of this route: Arizona → Sonora (international border)

Stops between Casa Grande and Hermosillo

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral of Saint Augustine (mile 66), Mission San Xavier del Bac (mile 75), Tubac Presidio State Historic Park (mile 109), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 112), Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas (mile 122)
  • Nature and outdoors: Picacho Peak State Park (mile 27), Tubac Presidio State Historic Park (mile 109), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 112)
  • Museums and history: Cathedral of Saint Augustine (mile 66), Mission San Xavier del Bac (mile 75), Tumacácori National Historical Park (mile 112), Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas (mile 122)

Picacho Peak State Park

Mile 27 · State park · 2 mi from the route

Between Tucson and Casa Grande off I-10, the park surrounds 1,500-foot Picacho Peak, site of the 1862 Battle of Picacho Pass. Expect hiking trails, a campground, and spring displays of Mexican gold poppies.

White Stallion Ranch

Mile 52 · Dude ranch · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Run by the True family since 1965, this 3,000-acre guest and cattle ranch near Tucson centers on horseback riding, keeps a bit of original adobe in its dining room, and has served as a location for Western films and TV shows.

Cathedral of Saint Augustine

Mile 66 · Catholic cathedral · 0.5 mi from the route

Mother church of the Diocese of Tucson, this downtown cathedral wears a 1928 cast-stone façade inspired by the Cathedral of Querétaro, Mexico, decorated with yucca and saguaro blossoms and a depiction of Mission San Xavier del Bac.

Mission San Xavier del Bac

Mile 75 · Spanish mission · 0.9 mi from the route

Founded in 1692 by Father Eusebio Kino on what is now the Tohono O'odham Nation's San Xavier Reservation, the mission's white church, built 1783–1797, is a National Historic Landmark and active parish open to visitors.

Tubac Presidio State Historic Park

Mile 109 · State park · 0.4 mi from the route

Known as Arizona's first state park, dedicated in 1958, it preserves ruins of the Spanish presidio founded in 1752. See the museum, an underground archaeology exhibit, and an 1885 territorial schoolhouse.

Tumacácori National Historical Park

Mile 112 · National Historical Park · 0.2 mi from the route

An adobe mission church anchors this park in the Santa Cruz River valley, where O'odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries. Tour the mission grounds and visitor center, then walk the Anza Trail along the river.

Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas

Mile 122 · Spanish mission · 0.7 mi from the route

Part of Tumacácori National Historical Park, these adobe church ruins date to a Pima settlement established in 1756 and abandoned in 1786 after Apache raids. The site can only be visited on a reserved ranger-led tour.

When you get to Hermosillo

Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora, spreads across the Sonoran Desert on Federal Highway 15. The rocky Cerro de la Campana rises right beside downtown, and stone quarried from it built the 1908 state penitentiary that now holds the regional history museum. The cathedral and Plaza Zaragoza anchor the old center, a short walk from the Government Palace.

  • Museo Regional de Sonora: INAH runs this museum inside the old state penitentiary, built of Cerro de la Campana stone in 1908 and used as a prison until 1979. source
  • Cerro de la Campana: The city's landmark hill gives a panoramic view over Hermosillo, and its phonolite rocks ring like a bell when struck, which gave it its name. source
  • Catedral de la Asunción: Dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption, the cathedral on Plaza Zaragoza blends Baroque and neo-Gothic elements in an eclectic facade. source

Hermosillo Cathedral

Cathedral · in Hermosillo

Consecrated in 1908, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption pairs an eclectic facade of Baroque and neo-Gothic elements with a neoclassical interior; its dome was finished in 1963. A small 18th-century chapel once stood here.

More drives to Hermosillo

From Casa Grande to other places in Mexico

All routes to Hermosillo, border crossings and permits in one place: Driving to Hermosillo, Mexico from the U.S.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Casa Grande to Hermosillo?

About 5 h 13 min of driving without stops, over 305 miles.

How far is Hermosillo from Casa Grande by car?

About 305 miles (491 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.

Where does the Casa Grande to Hermosillo drive cross into Mexico?

At about mile 132 of this route, from Arizona into Sonora, near the Nogales port of entry.

Do I need a permit to drive my car from Casa Grande to Hermosillo?

No vehicle permit is needed. Hermosillo is inside Sonora's free zone (west of Highway 15 as far south as Empalme, plus a strip along the border that includes Cananea). Going farther south or east of Highway 15 requires a permit. You also need Mexican auto insurance and a passport book or card. An FMM entry permit is required too.

Is it safe to drive from Casa Grande to Hermosillo?

The U.S. State Department rates Sonora Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Casa Grande to Hermosillo use?

In order: I-10, I-19, MEX-15D and MEX-15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Casa Grande and Hermosillo?

Closest to the road: Cathedral of Saint Augustine (catholic cathedral, mile 66, 0.5 mi from the route); Tubac Presidio State Historic Park (state park, mile 109, 0.4 mi from the route); Tumacácori National Historical Park (National Historical Park, mile 112, 0.2 mi from the route). All stops are described above.

How we put this guide together

Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway mile markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route (roughly 2 to 7 miles depending on the type, farther for World Heritage sites): at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, with no more than five of one type, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place and city descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on September 29, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.

Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.